Defense shines in Newton’s home loss to top-ranked Dallas Center-Grimes

The offense is not where it needs to be. The Newton girls basketball team was held to single digits in all four quarters against Class 4A No. 1 Dallas Center-Grimes on Friday.

But the Cardinals held the title-contending Mustangs to fewer than 50 points and played even with them in the second half during a 49-25 home loss.

“We told them after the game that our half court offense was right there with theirs and our defense did a good job against their offense,” Newton head girls basketball coach Jake Bennett said. “We credited a lot of what we did to our defense. If we take away the points they got in transition off turnovers, I think we’re right there and we see what happens.”

The Little Hawkeye Conference favorite led Newton 16-4 after one and took a 33-9 lead into halftime, but both teams scored 16 points in the second half.

The Cardinals were plagued by 27 turnovers against DCG’s full-court pressure. They also had opportunities at open layups at the back end of the press but just couldn’t get the ball down there enough.

“We put that into our plan but were just unable to make that one pass that could have gotten the ball to the open player down court,” Bennett said. “Being revved up forced us to not be in the right position to know where the open girls were. We were out of position a little bit.”

The Mustangs (6-0, 1-0 in the conference) are 26-0 against Newton since 2014, but the Cardinals are closing the gap each year. They’ve held DCG to fewer than 50 points four times during that stretch but have done so in back-to-back meetings.

Addy Cibula scored the first bucket of the game and Tori White made a layup to tie the game at 4-all early.

But a 17-0 run that ended the first and started the second quarter was the difference in the game.

The Cardinals did not score again until Camryn Klein made a 3-pointer with 6:08 to play until halftime. Cibula added a putback later, but DCG closed the half on a 10-0 run.

That stretch included a pair of 3s by Leah Brauch and back-to-back buckets inside that came directly off Newton turnovers.

“We got revved up by their press too much. That was the difference at the end of the first and the second quarter when they went on their run,” Bennett said. “We had a few open looks and scored on occasion, but we have to do a better job of being able to execute, find open space and make better spaces after ball fakes.”

Newton won the third quarter 8-6. The Cardinals scored six in a row that included a free throws by White and Carkhuff and consecutive baskets inside by Cibula. Carkhuff also hit a jumper that closed the margin to 20 late in the third.

The Mustangs opened the fourth with an 8-2 run. A jumper by Klein, a 3 by Carkhuff and a free throw from Brooke Garvis closed out the game, but it wasn’t near against the top-ranked team in 4A.

“This is a game where we know we’re going to be challenged. And we want that challenge,” Bennett said. “It will make us better in the long run. We told them not to worry about the score (at halftime) and just play our game of basketball. If we take care of us, keep the defense up and match their physicality, that’s how we will succeed. Being able to say those things and have them replicate that was good to see from our side.”

Cibula led the Cardinals with eight points, seven rebounds and two assists and Carkhuff totaled eight points, five boards and two steals.

White chipped in three points, five rebounds and two assists, Klein contributed five points and two rebounds, Emerson Ray pitched in two rebounds and two assists and Garvis pulled down four boards.

Newton (3-3, 0-2) shot 32.3 percent from the floor, made 2-of-6 from the free-throw line.

The Mustangs made six 3s in the win. Brauch, who is committed to NCAA Division 2 South Dakota Mines, led the way with 13 points and Ava Smid added 11. Northern Iowa recruit Macy Meyer scored seven of her nine points in the fourth.